Comments on Betsy DeVos - February 7, 2017

All children deserve a chance to achieve success regardless of where they are born in the situations their families face. Having grown up in rural southwest Iowa, my parents often stress the importance of a strong education. In Iowa, we are fortunate to have one of the best public school systems in the nation, and I am a proud product of our Iowa public school system, as is my 17 year old daughter, Libby who will graduate this May. As a mother and grandmother, I firmly believe education should be handled at the state and local level by Iowans, not Washington bureaucrats. Over the last several weeks, I have thoroughly vetted Betsy DeVos and have found that she shares the belief that those closest to our students, from parents to teachers to local administrators and local elected officials, know what is best for our students. Additionally, she has pledged to fight for all students, including those attending public private and charter schools and students who require additional support due to developmental physical or other disabilities. While I support her confirmation, I will be holding her accountable to the standard she has placed upon herself. I have heard from folks on both sides of the debate over Betsy DeVos. Good people can disagree with one another and still engage in a civil productive discourse. An open and honest dialogue is important, and it's critical that I continue to hear from you which you can do by calling one of our offices, sending me a letter, or visit my website ernst.senate.gov. I look forward to working with you to protect our schools, restore local control, and prepare our youth to enter the workforce. Thank you for all that you do.